The radical rebranding of the Chicago Bulls’ identity continues.
According to a report by Marc Stein of ESPN, the team met with free agent point guard Rajon Rondo in Chicago on Friday.
Rajon Rondo indeed had a free-agent meeting today with the Bulls in Chicago, league sources tell @MarcJSpears and me
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 1, 2016
The 30-year-old Rondo had generated interest from both the Knicks and the Nets, but appears to be moving on after the former traded for Derrick Rose and the latter signed Jeremy Lin. A return to the Sacramento Kings also appears unlikely for Rondo.
Chicago’s point guard rotation is decrepit after trading Rose and acquiring Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant in return. Rondo is still an elite playmaker, but he needs total control of an offense in order to produce, something that seemed like a key point of friction between Rose and Jimmy Butler. Rondo is also known for his strong personality, which might not go over well on a Bulls team with already-existing chemistry concerns and a head coach in Fred Hoiberg who hasn’t historically responded to them well.
Rondo on the Bulls is ultimately an awkward fit, but given how quickly the market is drying up, it may just become their awkward fit.
